Paris is Still Paris: Pink Pangea Preview

There’s no denying it: I’ve been keeping extremely busy this month. Between hosting lots of visitors, adventuring in Southern Spain (plenty of posts to come!), and beginning to plan our next, post-Paris steps (eek!), I haven’t had much time to focus on sharing my stories with y’all — or to take a deep breath for that matter! Whew. The upside is that my quiver is full after such an exiting couple of weeks and I am anxious to fill you all in. Stay tuned, my friends!

All that said, I haven’t been completely removed from the written word. Just this week, I had the opportunity to contribute once again to the women’s travel website, Pink Pangea, on a difficult topic that’s vastly important to me. Sure, I love to talk about the fluffy stuff, like Paris’ lesser-known attractions and how to blend in while touring the city. But if we dwell on those things at the expense of the tough stuff, I truly believe we’re missing the point. Maybe you won’t agree with what I have to say, and that’s okay! Let’s just keep the conversation going, shall we?

“Paris is no longer Paris.”

The words stung as they rolled off the lips of my new president and out of my laptop speakers. Sure, it was no surprise to me that some people felt this way. My husband and I had received similar sentiments from concerned family members before we left for our stint in Paris last September. But to hear it from the mouth of our president—direct from his friend and former Paris-lover, Jim—left me reeling with questions and rebuttals as I watched the speech unfold.

It was said so matter-of-factly, so condemningly, implying in not so many words that Paris, fallen from its former glory, was in shambles and no longer safe to visit. But I knew that wasn’t true. As I sat on the couch in my Paris apartment, I felt physically sick for the city I love and for all the people who would now be too afraid to travel.

Since this speech, I’ve thought a lot about President Trump’s claim. It’s been recycled many times over as scared, would-be vacationers deliberate on travel forums whether or not they should cancel their plans. I don’t pretend to have been able to sort through all of the nuances surrounding what’s been said. But, I do feel that there are a few things that need to be addressed, especially by someone like myself who has been in the thick of it for the past few months.

You may also like

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Search for:

This Is Me

Hello and welcome to This Place Is Home Blog!

I'm Ashley, a twenty-something travel lover with a never-ending desire to see new places, learn new languages, and experience new cultures. This blog will follow me and my husband Chris on our adventures, documenting our pursuit of home wherever we go.

Subscribe

Sign up to receive weekly updates about the goings-on at thisplaceishomeblog.com!